17 October 2016
Splashing about in tunnels
Exploring undercover Tokyo in the rain
There is no monsoon, however there is plenty of rain, today. The forecast suggests no more rain tomorrow, I dont believe it. It rained from the second I stepped outside to the second I returned to my room. Hence I spent the entire day inside in tunnels, there are a lot of tunnels.
First I went west, to the Shinjuku Metropolitan and Regional Local Government and Coordination Centre for Matters Concerning the Greater Area of the Region Including Shinjuku and the Immediate Prefectural surroundings of Shinjuku. Its a lot of text to fit on a sign.
This building is famous with all tourists because its free to go to level 44 and peer out the window, at the fog and rain. Actually when I got to the top you could see a bit, but about 2 minutes after there was nothing at all to see just white, and many a tourist being ushered around on the 4 hour all inclusive visit to all corners of Japan was very disappointed.
Amusingly, on the way down, the tour guide for a German group was explaining that the lift only takes 55 seconds, and that the bus can park directly at the door, so its only a 13 minute visit on the itinerary. So if you are German and old, your itinerary is down to 13 minute blocks. Enjoy that, go to the peace museum in Hiroshima for 21 minutes exactly then stand and peer at Mount Fuji for 37 seconds.
I then followed the massive tunnel complex back under Shinjuku to Shinjuku Chome to Shinjuku Neo Chome to Shinjuku Chuo Chome Seiso No Seiso finally to Shinjuku not Shinuku. All up about 7000 steps.
Now it was time to get on the subway and play station roulette. The rules are simple. You stay on until the majority of people get off, pay no attention to signage or announcements or you ruin your own surprise.
Turns out I got off at Tokyo main station, which was fine because it also has many miles of tunnels to splash about in puddles as you look at cats advertising everything.
Heres a cat advertising something.
One of many tunnels for the day, there really was one flooded with about an inch of water, although its not really raining hard at all, just constantly, so I suspect something failed to cause the mini flood.
My view from the top of the building with the long name. Top tip - they have a hidden vending machine near the toilets. Buy a $1 bottle of water and enjoy the view of the fog.
They also have a nice shop set up selling the regional foods from everywhere in Japan. Basically so you can lie and suggest you went everywhere in Japan instead of to the top of the free building.
I enjoyed the horse jerky. I like to believe its those stupid horses that pull the carriages up and down the main street of Melbourne turned into a salty treat.
I found an excellent outdoor shop selling more brands of boots than I knew existed. Except they didnt like me taking photos at all. Before I got the tell off bow, thats a real thing, I managed to snap this picture of bear bells.
The Japanese believe if a big brown bear is chasing you, the ding of a bell will frighten it away.
They also believe the emperor can fly and that schoolgirls solely exist to be groped by old men, so the bear bell thing is on the low end of the scale of ridiculousness.
This is just a random display of model cars along a tunnel in between two stations. As far as I could tell its not attached to any physical shop.
More cats.
The main Tokyo station is under heavy reconstruction, to add more debt to Japan for the Olympics. This part however is either done or due to be knocked down next. Who knows.
Photo of rain from a new part of the Tokyo station, near Daimaru.
For lunch I got the sandwich combo. Based solely on the place that had seats available. Under the station theres about 500 places to eat, nearly all had large lines.
The unsweetened iced milk tea was nice, about 90% of it was ice so two sucks through the straw and I was done.
I still dont know what the mystery cream salad was, anchovy perhaps.
Godzilla, from the previously mentioned godzilla street.
I like banana chips. Now the Japanese have improved them with ruffles. Everything is better ruffle cut.
And finally as promised, the view out of my hotel window. I Will probably take another photo at night. Also I was not joking, as soon as I stepped inside it appears to have stopped raining.